The moment Tristan and Julie disappeared through the school doors I hopped out of my car. I wrangled my book bag strap onto my shoulder as I slammed the door. With one quick glance I found Xavier’s car parked in its usual spot. He wasn’t leaning up against it. My best guess was that he’d gone inside already. I decided to go straight to his locker instead of stopping at my own first. I knew that if I hesitated, or gave myself time to think things through, I might lose my nerve. My new confidence wasn’t fueled by a sudden interest in Xavier. It was fueled by an intense desire to forget all about Tristan. Maybe Daphne and Finola were right. Maybe I just needed to move on. Maybe a distraction would help. I doubted it. But at that moment I was willing to do just anything to get Tristan out of my head. Xavier was easy to spot. He towered over the rest of the crowd. His hair was the same chocolate cherry color that Daphne’s was.
